Margaret May (McPherson, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is addressed to the Minister for Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs. Would the minister advise the House on government initiatives to bring about a reduction in the number of young disabled people living in residential aged care?

Mal Brough (Longman, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Indigenous Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for McPherson for her question. It is a sad reality today that there are too many young Australians who are inappropriately being housed in aged care facilities. These are people who, through either disease or accidents, find themselves in an aged care facility simply because there is no appropriate place for a young person to get the care they need in a safe environment.

The fact is that the housing of people with disabilities, under the disability agreement, is a state responsibility. But back in February, due to the leadership of the Howard government and particularly the Prime Minister, the federal government signed an agreement in the COAG process allocating $244 million to this particular cause of removing young people from aged care facilities and housing them in appropriate accommodation that will meet their lifestyle needs.

This is an important initiative, and today I can inform the House that three of the states have now signed direct bilaterals with the federal government. For the information of honourable members, Victoria, South Australia and Queensland have done so, and negotiations are under way with two other states. Can I suggest to the other states that are still discussing this matter—this is the most polite way I can do it—that an aged care facility is not an appropriate place for a young person to be and we should all be making every effort to honour the agreement that was made in February to have these young people removed.

I took the step, along with the states, of advertising throughout Australia back on 15 July for expressions of interest on appropriate ways to house people in these various circumstances. We have been overwhelmed by the response that we have had from individuals, community organisations and care groups. In fact I have had over 140 inquiries thus far, and some very innovative approaches have been brought forward.

The aim of this initiative is to ensure that we move young people with a disability into appropriate residential care, to help those who wish to remain in an aged care facility for various reasons to have the appropriate level of care provided to them and also to assist those who are not in an aged care facility to be able to remain in appropriate care. This does require everybody’s effort. It requires the states to work with us to ensure that we meet our objectives of having fewer young people in aged care facilities and that they are housed in an appropriate form of care, recognising their needs as Australians who should be able to have a full life expectancy that otherwise they are denied when they are put in inappropriate circumstances in aged care facilities.

Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Could the minister please table the notes from which he was quoting?

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Was the minister reading from confidential notes?

Mal Brough (Longman, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Indigenous Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Lilley must be short of sight; I hardly read a thing, Mr Speaker. These are confidential notes.

John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.